I had a fast talking real estate guy come in my shop about year ago, asking me if I wanted to sell my building, now he is the not first guy who has done this over the years, but at least this time it wasn't some condescending prick driving a new Mercedes with penny loafers on A little history my shop it is old family rental property built about 1978, I have occupied it since late 2000. Like most building I ended u in over the years, it is less that ideal for race car work, drains in the floor and dipped at each drain, meaning not a level long span on the whole old damn floor. I always had to set up the race car on the cement -ad leading out the front door. It also near the city, just in the county, over the years the neighborhood has been up and down, when I firs moved in it, I had to run drug dealers, and whores off the corner. over the years however, more business has moved back into the area, and now that the city is became high dollar and now folks folks are spreading out into the county near the city. Bottom line, we don't have forced city annexation, 75% of the owners in given are has to agree and no one in their right mind will do that, because taxes almost double in the city. Long story short, I sold the building for twice what I thought it was worth, now I going to build new shop at the house.

OK, here's the main reason for the post. I have built this shop, well sort of, in my mind a thousand times, With side and back sets zoning laws looks like I can built about a 40x60 building. Ok first debate metal vs wood, metal building kits looks like a heck of deal, my builder/longtime friend wants me to consider wood construction making it match the house. Now I really don't care one way, or the other, and could care less about resale value, because I am building this shop for me, and will stay here for the rest of my life. I will building it beside the house with 40" section facing the road, one large door offset on the front with a entry door. Now maybe some windows, a large entry door on the back wall, maybe a smaller garage door. I will bring the 3 phase mill and lathe home and use phase converter for them, I think I want a lift. The shop will be a open area except for a small office and rest room.

Here's a short list of things rolling around in my mind as for things I want, or think I want.

LED overhead lighting

HVAC, now I do have some choices but it will have both AC and heat, I could go with a heat pump very popular in this part of the country, but the gas line comes to the corner of my lot, so depending on cost of gas line, that could be a possibility as for heat. The shop will be well insulated.

Possibly a over hang on the front to keep the sun out from blaring in the door in the spring and fall, however it will sit at angle where the sun does not rise, or set facing the front of the shop.

On the lift I trying to decide on drive-on or 4 post, I do want to use for the race car as well.

The lift leads me to eve height, I am thinking 14'-16'

On the floor, I don't want anything too fussy, I have epoxy at the shop now, over the years it has not held up that well, steel castors being the leading reason. So probably just sealed concrete, is there different types, better, or worse as for sealer?

I will man cave this place a bit more than the current shop, so more wall art, of course my stereo, and even a big flat screen TV.

I am guessing more than a few of you here has done this before, as for building a new shop, so I am open to any and all ideas you may want to share. Now I am South Carolina, so no where near the heat requirements you guys up North have, so no need for heated floors and such, AC is more critical here than heat.

I would at least look into two-stage infrared tube heaters especially if the doors will open with any frequency it is the least expensive. Also would think about waste oil heaters if you generate much used oil and lastly a heated floor with a boiler.

You may want to look at some sort of friction component on your floors epoxy of some kind. Wire the place for surround sound before you drywall or whatever on the walls.

More lighting that you think you will need in IL Ameren will virtually pay for the lights if you install LED's and check with rebates on HVAC also.

I would go with a wider overhead door too they cannot be too wide with trailers etc.

Hap, I've drawn out a 40 x 60 is so many configurations it's comical, just haven't found the property to move to and build it.I would put in both a two post and a four post lift though, and tie into the gas line. Make the office nice enough to hang out in, and a separate clean room engine build area.I'd also consider having a drive through design, get home late from the track, drive straight in, pull the doors down and unload the next day or so.Matching the house would depend on how badly it will stick out to your surroundings, a 40 x 60 is a big building.

I expanded my shop/barn with a new work area a few years ago and added a lift. In my case I decided I could only work on one thing at a time so I did't need the entire building heated and cooled. The added space was equivalent to a two story two bay garage. The entire building is about what you're talking about. My shop area has open 2 story space for the lift in one bay and the other side has a loft so I can store wheels and tires in a climate controlled space above. Under the loft I have a work area with my lathe mill, shaper, metal planer etc. This works out great for me as I have a Mitsubishi ductless heat pump that I installed and it easily keeps my working shop area warm in the winter and cool in the summer in Virginia. The rest of the barn I use to store cars and parts and it has pallet racks etc for that. A couple of things I did that you might want to consider. I wired the place myself with the help of a friend. I put in LOTS of outlets every few feet at shop bench height all around the shop. They are on two different circuits every other one. I have separate from the house 200 amp service to the shop and lots of circuits 110 and 220 so I have outlets for the welder, etc installed. I have a separate circuit with a disconnect that turns on the phase convertor for the mill etc. The phase convertor and compressor is outside my insulated shop area in the storage part so I don't have to listen to them run. To install overhead lights I put outlets in the ceilings and then plug in light fixtures instead of hard wired fixtures. That way if I want to change the type of lighting (I have fluorescent fixtures now) in an area or if one goes bad I just plug in a new one. I did this in the storage area too. An added benefit is you have access to power overhead everywhere. I insulated my working shop area then used OSB painted white on the inside walls. No worries about punching holes in drywall every time you move a piece of roll bar tubing etc. If you're going to put in a lift plan ahead and make sure they pour the slab thick enough.

Good luck, and I envy you. I've got to wait another couple of years before I can build or move into the shop I've always dreamed of. There's just too much weird elevation issues with my current property, so...

The sad truth is that I've built no fewer than three cars including my old vintage car in a 12 x 20 farm tent. Currently I've moved up to a nice industrial unit, but it's 40 miles away and the rent is pretty steep.

I want somewhere where I can end my days with all the stuff I've built but is in storage.

At this point in my life, I can't say I want any car projects, other than working on my race car, so it will be the only car in the shop. I will have room to pull in my personal street cars for service. I am engine guy, so that is what the shop will be, work bench stations areas, mill and lathe, shelfing lining the wall. I have done the "engine room" deal, got one now, ends being more storage room, because at any one time we are building 3-5 engines here, and 2-3 at Freddy's shop, so the whole shop is a engine room, think assembly stations, maybe cuticle walls, probably 3 of them, then a big bench for head assembly. I have cool porting desk/table, I just keep my stations well separated and try to keep it clean. I like the open concept, only closed off rooms will be the office, it will be small, and a rest room.

Don't misunderstand the value of "clean space" for assembling engines, ie: including adequate space to "store" cleaned or new parts in preparation for assembly. Of course, you are the only person who can judge what amount of space is required for your needs. "Tall" heavy duty shelving can eat lots of bits and uses very little floor area. But, eventually, you will be working on at least two engines at once, having "clean space to leave everything laid out is "convenient".

As for parts cleaning, it depends on how well you tolerate the solvents you use to clean things. As I've aged, I've become "intolerant" of petrochemical fumes. I have a closed area with a fan venting to the outside to control the fumes. You might want to consider the same.

How your building "blends into the neighborhood" affects your property value, AND the property values of your neighbors. A more expensive building that "blends in" better will probably net you more resale value in the end, (yeah, yeah, I know you are going to live forever . . . . . ) AND, keep your neighbors "more friendly" . . . .

JMO

Cheers

_________________________
Fordboy628

Without "data", you are just another guy with a theory or an opinion . . . .

Someone who thinks logically is a nice contrast to the real world . . . .

Thanks Mark for your advice. I no longer use solvents in my parts washer, I have been dedicated to water based chemicals now for about 7 years, lymphoma made me rethink that one. I do plan on wall shelving, that has doors, a cheap solution for this is to check with a cabinet maker, they often times remove old kitchen cabinets that are still good, just not what their customer wanted, they make excellent storage area for clean parts, I have cabinets in waiting for the new shop.

Yeah metal vs wood construction will come down to cost, I would be like the 5th-6th guy in my neighborhood to add a big shop on his property, all but one of the other's is metal buildings. I am a introvert at home, so no one will pay me any attention, as everything I do will be out of sight, I'm even that way now at my downtown building, no one has clue what I do in my building now, as for the locals, and I like it that way, I don't need signage, or anything that lets locals know what I do, plus it all allowed per zoning laws. As for resale value, who cares if I sold it today, I would make 10X what I bought it for, the advantage of being somewhere for a long time. Also being that guy who has never, and I do mean never had a junk car sitting out side any of his buildings ever, how many car guys can say that, like none, LOL I always felt if you can't put your project inside, then you don't need it. plus my project days are over.

I expanded my shop/barn with a new work area a few years ago and added a lift. In my case I decided I could only work on one thing at a time so I did't need the entire building heated and cooled. The added space was equivalent to a two story two bay garage. The entire building is about what you're talking about. My shop area has open 2 story space for the lift in one bay and the other side has a loft so I can store wheels and tires in a climate controlled space above. Under the loft I have a work area with my lathe mill, shaper, metal planer etc. This works out great for me as I have a Mitsubishi ductless heat pump that I installed and it easily keeps my working shop area warm in the winter and cool in the summer in Virginia. The rest of the barn I use to store cars and parts and it has pallet racks etc for that. A couple of things I did that you might want to consider. I wired the place myself with the help of a friend. I put in LOTS of outlets every few feet at shop bench height all around the shop. They are on two different circuits every other one. I have separate from the house 200 amp service to the shop and lots of circuits 110 and 220 so I have outlets for the welder, etc installed. I have a separate circuit with a disconnect that turns on the phase convertor for the mill etc. The phase convertor and compressor is outside my insulated shop area in the storage part so I don't have to listen to them run. To install overhead lights I put outlets in the ceilings and then plug in light fixtures instead of hard wired fixtures. That way if I want to change the type of lighting (I have fluorescent fixtures now) in an area or if one goes bad I just plug in a new one. I did this in the storage area too. An added benefit is you have access to power overhead everywhere. I insulated my working shop area then used OSB painted white on the inside walls. No worries about punching holes in drywall every time you move a piece of roll bar tubing etc. If you're going to put in a lift plan ahead and make sure they pour the slab thick enough.

Yes, incandescent sockets with 100 Watt bulbs. I prefer that type of light for over the machines to be able to see what I'm doing and measure things etc. so I positioned them directly over the machines where I needed them. They have pull strings to turn them on and off. They were vintage fixtures out of a barn that someone was selling on Ebay.

Well an update, I close on the sale of current shop on the 12th of Jan. Think I'm settled on a builder, and found out yesterday that the natural gas provider will run a gas line to my building for free, which was good news, as I will be the first person on this side of the street to have NG. which the last time I talked to them about this, 10+ years ago it was going to be like $3k to run a gas line. I have been exploring LED lighting, and few other things, if I can thru permit crap, we may be able to start construction as soon as Feb.

None of this is I am sure that interesting but at least it is the first post here in 11 days

I'm jealous.I tried to get NG to my shop, they wanted 2G's back in '94 even though I had gas at the house so I only have electric heat.One thing I've run into though is just how cold the concrete floor gets. You might explore hot water heating tubes in the floor. I don't know much about it but wished I had something.

On a positive note I got another 4 post lift delivered as well as a new Stainless Steel tool box. Merry Christmas to me.